INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1660, 14 January 1895, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL.

(By Telegraph.) WELLINGTON, January 12. The election of the TariH Council will not be completed to-day. Those already selected are Messrs Steward, Duthie, Tanner, William Hutchison, Stevens, McGowan and Thomas McKenzie, M.H.R.'b. The Land Purchase Commissioners have been making selections of land m the vicinity of Christchurch, with a view to the Government acquiring a sufficient area under the Land for Settlements Act for the purpose of close settlement. Nearly an inch of rain fell m Wellington during the 24 hours ending at. 9 o'clock this morning. Up to the present the total rainfall for January is nearly 6 inches. The Postmaster-General considers that the tender of the Indiarabber and Guttapercha Company for laying the Pacific cable is veiy reasonable. If the Imperial Government assists to a certain exteut, the work will be carried out. With regard to the proposal to include New Zealand m the Vancouver mail service. Mr Ward informs the Press Association that the offer was made to the New Zealand Government by the Huddart Parker Company to run a fast connecting steamir between Fiji and Auckland or Wellington. The matter was considered by the Government, and it was thought better to have the direct steamers themselves, if possible, to come on and touch at Auckland or Wellington, at the option of the contractors. The PostmasterGeneral of New South Wales was asked whether that colony would be agreeable to allow the steamers to come on to New Zealand. The Government are m favour of establishing a direct mail service via Vancouver, alternating every fortnight with the San Francisco service. In the negotiations for a connecting service it was contemplated to include Samoa as well as Fiji, this suggestion being made by the N6W Zealand Government. The whole matter is at present one of negotiation, and nothing whatever lias been fixed, The Huddart Parker Company offered to build a special steamer of fast power to connect at Fiji, for a subsidy of £10,000 a year. January 13, Mr Barjtvop, chief clerk iv the Government Insurance Department, has been appointed accountant vice R. Todd, who recently committed sujcjde.. Mr Niven succeeds Mr Barltrop. The Postmaster-General has received a cable message from the PostmasterGeneral of Tasmania to the effect that negotiations for holding the Postal Conference m Hobart instead of Melbourne have been successful, and that the date fixed is February Ist. Each colony expressed a wish that Mr Ward should attend. A successful trial was made to-day and yesterday with the Wheatstone automatic transmitter, which was recently imported on the suggestion of Mr J. K. Logan, Superintendent of Telegraphs. Two instruments were imported at a cost of about £300, and it is intended to place one here and the other m Christchurch. It is claimed that a speed of 400 words a minute can be obtained, and as Mi Logan explains it will be of great service m case of a congested state of the wires. The instruments will be found to be of special use where the wires are over-taxed, as the work can be rattled through ai

i the rate of about 20,000 words an hour . and operators will be told off to writ* from the tape. Another advantage ii that the machine can be duplexed, thui doubling the work. -